The Blind Swan

Inspired from a decapitated princess and the faithful swans...


If you are interested in knowing the above inspirations, read my small text in the end of the description. Sometimes I'm just fed up with my own lengthy descriptions.

_{***UPDATE Sep 19 2010: more details on the story of the decapitated princess***
After learning that there are some viewers who do read my description with special cares and considerations, I decided to add more details, especially those related to her lover/husband, who indirectly caused her death. Again, my special thanks to you, who not only enjoy my art but also pay attention to my inspirational sources and back-stories - things that consume my labour as much as the artworks themselves. Thank you sooo much !!!
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Just a little combination between my anime style and surrealism. This painting was done in a hurry, as I had to finish it before my new school-year - which has already started. Therefore, some planned details were cut out. However, it has turned out good because it was supposed to be simple-themed.

This painting was inspired by various sources, with the main story theme is "blindness" (particularly in love).

Painted with PS as usual. The flower pattern on the black hat was taken from cgtextures.com.

Thanks for all supports !

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<sub>"I tell you the story of Mi Chau,
Who put her heart on her head..."

Those are some lyrics by Vietnamese poet To Huu. He was implying the TRUE legend of Princess Mi Chau of the feudal Vietnamese imperial long ago. Mi Chau loved and married Trong Thuy - the son of the enemy king, in a diplomatic act between the 2 kingdoms. She was so blind in love that she made a serious mistake - handing the national secrets to Trong Thuy, who then reported them to his father as it was his obligatory duty. Mi Chau's mistake partly led to the loss of the kingdom and she made herself become the national traitor. She ended up being decapitated by her own father - the King, before he himself committed suicide. The story of Mi Chau and Trong Thuy - who decided to die with her after learning her death - is considered the most tragic love story in our history as well as literature because of the tragic ending in which they both ended up in miserable deaths. All the characters and events were historically true.
Nowadays, it's very easy to find the worshiped statue of Mi Chau among other historical and religious figures in the temples, because it's the only figure that is headless.
To Huu's lyrical sentences have also become a popular Vietnamese saying used to imply young girls who make severe mistakes because of being blinded by what they call "love".



Another important source is the song lyric below, which has made me come up with the title "The Blind Swan" :

(I only list some parts of the total lyrics. Others are the "...").

"Lonely swan on the silver lake,
You are drifting alone
Oh,you know how a heart can break,
When love has flown
When to some distant ocean crossed,
Some mysterious sea,
Though a lover be ever lost,
Love cannot be...
.................. .................. ...............
...We belong to the sun,
We belong to the sky,
We have more than one song... to sing before we die..."

(extracted from "Swan" - Secret Garden feat. Youngok Shin)


I strongly recommend you to seek and listen to this beautiful song, especially if you have been a Secret Garden fan.

Thanks a lot for reading.</sub>

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